A Voice of Hope

A Book List Tag

It's not even mid-January and I've been tagged already to do a meme of sorts. Debbie Kaufman, who tagged me, listed some amazing books, as did Emily Hunter McGowin (tagged by Debbie too) and Kevin Bussey (the perpetrator of all this book-love tagging). So check out their books too. I love seeing how each one has a list that, to me, reflects their personality as well as their heart.

So here's my little list. I tried to include links to Amazon.com where available so you can add all this reading goodness to your own library. :)

One book that changed your life: I have two I want to mention. The Allure of Hope: God's Pursuit of a Woman's Heart by Jan Meyers, and The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge. Both of these radically altered how I saw myself through God's eyes and helped me really connect to God's passionate pursuit of me.

One book you have read more than once: Again, two (more, really): Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin and all the Harry Potter books in the series. Both are sooooo much better than the movies (A&E's miniseries of P&P was the best filmed version, in my opinion) and worth reading again and again and again...

One book you would want on a desert Island: It's going to sound really corny, but if I only got one book it would be the Bible. I cannot think of any other book that doesn't get old, never runs out of surprises, and so consistently challenges, comforts, encourages and matures me. Now, if I get another book besides the Bible, I'd probably want one of Shel Silverstein's books.

Two books that made you laugh: The First Assistant by Clare Naylor & Mimi Hare, and I Feel Bad About My Neck: and Other Thoughts on Being A Woman by Nora Ephron. The first had me howling because I've lived that life of Hollywood assistant and I know the crazy drama she writes about. And the second had me howling because, well, it's Nora Ephron. Plus, it's all about the stuff about women and aging I'm starting to understand in an all too familiar way thankyouverymuch.

One book that made you cry: Abba's Child by Brennan Manning. Powerful stuff.

One book you wish you'd written: the one I haven't written yet, but will one day.

One book that you wish had never been written: I have two. The Prayer of Jabez, and Every Woman's Battle. Both of these really bother me. The first one just seems to be an affront to God's constant grace upon us. Instead of books on how to pray for more blessings -- we are already blessed beyond measure, but most people ignore this reality -- what we really need are books on seeing the abundant blessings we already have and asking God to help us see how we can bless others with the blessings He's given us. As for "Every Woman's Battle," I felt it was a one-dimensional, oversimplified look at the three-dimensional, complex issues women, especially those in their 20s and 30s, deal with in the 21st century when it comes to sex and sexuality. I fear it did more harm than good.

Two books you are currently reading: Just two? I am currently reading four, in a rotation kinda thing: Abba's Child, TrueFaced, The Anatomy of Peace, and No Stones.

One book you've been meaning to read: Widow of The South has been sitting on my nightstand for forever, patiently waiting for its turn to be read.

Now tag five or so people: Hmmm, some I'd tag have already been hit so I'll just do three. Marti (she tagged me a couple of months ago and while I still owe her a post, I also owe her a "tag-your it!" back), Larry, and Joe (if you haven't already been hit).

But I Don't Know If I'd Look As Good In A Beard

You scored as Albus Dumbledore, Strong and powerful you admirably defend your world and your charges against those who would seek to harm them. However sometimes you can fail to do what you must because you care too much to cause suffering. Albus Dumbledore 95% Harry Potter 85% Sirius Black 75% Remus Lupin 70% Ron Weasley 65% Draco Malfoy 55% Severus Snape 55% Hermione Granger 50% Ginny Weasley 50% Lord Voldemort 35% Your Harry Potter Alter Ego Is...? created with QuizFarm.com

TrueFaced

I just started reading a new book and already I'm all verklempt. So talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic: True or False...

God wants to reveal himself to us in authenticity. Because one of God's dreams is that we would influence others far more out of who we are than out of what we do.

Discuss.

Disciple Generation

Marty Duren brought an intriguing article, and book, to my attention in his post today.

The book, "Righteous: Dispatches from the Evangelical Youth Movement" is written by Lauren Sandler, a self-proclaimed Jewish athiest, who immersed herself in in the Evangelical Youth Movement as a journalist in order to better understand and report on this new "grassroots movement" as she calls it.

The Washington Post.com recently published an on-line chat with Lauren regarding her book, research and her subsequent opinions on the latest movement in Christianity. Marty brought all this to our attention in his latest post and I got so caught up in what I read that I wanted to post my many thoughts here, rather than co-opt Marty's blog in the comment section. :)

Go read the article, if you haven't already, then come back and let me tell you what I think -- because  its all about me, you know. :) And then afterward, tell you what you think.

I think its an amazing testament to the youth/young adults in this movement that she calls it the "Disciple Generation". I think it shows that they (we?) are finally getting it. That we are called to be disciples of Jesus and to make disciples of everyone in our lives. That's disciples, not converts. Did you hear me on that?

As I said in my comment on Marty's blog:

[We have a] “conversion” culture in the Church.

I know that for as long as I can remember (I grew up in church, my dad was a SBC chaplain in the Army and later a minister in SBC churches), I was taught that I would be known by my “fruit” and that fruit was who I brought with me into heaven. In other words, how effective I was as a Christian in my world would be reflected by how many people I converted in my life.

I now believe that is a lie straight from hell — but spoken and perpetuated by well-meaning but misguided Christians. Satan wants to keep us “frustrated” with those God placed in our lives to LOVE and disciple because they aren’t “converting”, he wants us to be so frustrated because they aren’t becoming followers of Jesus. Why? Because as long as we see their conversion as tied to our effectiveness as Christians, we will be more focused on ourselves (and our perceived maturity/effectiveness in Christ) than on THEM. We will not really love them, just love them; just for the joy of loving another human being. But rather, we will see them as a means to proving our own "Christian-ness". —Does that make sense?

[As] Amy and others have said, God didn’t call us to “convert” the world. Jesus never said we’d be known by how many people joined our church. He said we’d be known by our LOVE.

I think we’ve gotten far too wrapped up in “bringing people to Jesus” and have forgotten that our mandate from Jesus was actually to bring Him to the people. (”Go…” not ‘bring them to me’ “…and make disciples…” not converts).

I think that’s what Lauren Sandler experienced in her time immersed in the Disciple Generation. She says in this chat, “I found it remarkable — though perhaps I shouldn’t have, since it is the duty of every Evangelical to spread the faith — that almost every single person I approached opened their hearts, their lives, and often their homes, to me with incredible generosity.”

What she experienced was God’s love, poured out through Jesus’ followers. That she came out of it without committing her life to Jesus and becoming His follower says much more about her heart than it does about the people she met. Jesus’ parable about the seed/soil says nothing about the seed and everything about the soil. Our job is to sow the seeds of love and the gospel everywhere we go. No where does Jesus say we are responsible for any soil other than our own.

What Lauren describes as her experience while immersed in this movement is what being a disciple and making disciples looks like. Making disciples isn't the same as making converts. The former is all about influence. The latter is all about power.

To me, her label of this movement shows that, for the most part, these young ones understand so much better than we did that it isn't about power and control, but about influence and servanthood.

And I have to say this was also my assessment when I attended ILC (International Learning Center of the International Mission Board) back in 2002. It was the Journeyman/women and ISCers in their early to mid-20s who were grabbing up the Frontier assignments with people groups in the farthest reaches of the world faster than the IMB could create them. These were young men and women who were so passionately in love with Jesus that it was worth all the sacrifice and hard, hard work it takes to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth, and they weren't afraid to risk everything in order that even one person might get the chance to meet Jesus themselves, to experience God's love and become a follower of Jesus. I am so impressed with this generation!

However, there are some things that concern me. Things I see in the Church which cause me growing concern, especially since it seems we are passing it along to the next generation.

I worked for a brief time with an arm of the SBC which is focused on furthering SBC interests in the political realm. I hated it. I hated the idea of mixing politics and "religion". I hated the idea of SBC money going to political causes. Part of the reason is because I know there are Southern Baptists out there who do not support the agenda pushed by this arm of their denomination. That, to me, is just as heinous as using union funds to support political agendas of an elite few in control. It disregards the will of the whole, for the desires of a few. You just don't do that with an organization. Its the union members hard-earned dollars that should only be spent on things the majority feels is the best use of their money.

The same applies to the SBC, in my opinion. We have no business in the world of politics. We need to stay out of it as a denomination and let individuals focus on the issues most important to them as individuals. This is a problem I have with religion in politics in general.

In specific, however, I understand that we all bring our values and convictions into the voting booth and into our own campaigning, be it in the public arena or in the private campaigning we do in our conversations and debates with friends, co-workers and brothers and sisters in Christ. I have no problem with a person who is a Christian forming a lobby group of some kind to push for/against an issue that is of utmost importance to them.

But I have a huge problem with organizations that label themselves Christian and call their stance the "Christian" stance. It sets up the unavoidable impression (sometimes blatantly stated) that any other stance is decidedly UN-Christian.

That's wrong.  Even when it comes to -- hang on to your hats and glasses! -- abortion, gay marriage and evolution vs. creationism taught in public schools. Who are we to tell other brothers and sisters in Christ how to vote, who to vote for, what to vote for and what to believe??? Who are we to judge them UNChristian when they don't agree with us?? Nuh-uh, no. That's wrong. We have no right to do so.

Lauren says in her on-line chat:

"In my reporting, I found that most people I spoke to would like to replace public schools with Christian schools, our government with a Christian government--the entire secular culture with a Christian culture. Not to seem overly alarmist here -- though I think it's important to sound an alarm these days -- I did not write that sentence [of Christian conservatives as an army that 'aims to destroy everything that it is not'] as a metaphor. I meant it literally. If I had met people who are content to live as Christians in a secular culture, without needing to change and shape institutions and individuals, I would not see it this way. But, simply, that's what I found."

And earlier on she says,

There is almost no awareness amongst this group -- which I call the Disciple Generation -- that Evangelical liberals exist.

She also said,

"The politics of this Christain movement are of a very different stripe, and distinctly aligned--against gay marriage, abortion, and evolution in public schools. As long as a candidate is unflappable on those few issues, many people I've met have told me they need to look no further into a platform or voting record. They would tell you their politics and religion are one and the same--that there is no politics and there is no religion, there's only faith."

Again, I am convinced that our faith, our relationship with Jesus, informs our politics. But I do not see the two "as one and the same." This, to me, is a symptom of the confusion the "religious right" and the Jerry Falwells of our time have created in the church. To not even be aware that someone could be Christian, be a follower of Christ and a liberal, says to me that there is a huge disconnect somewhere; and it says that we must all fit a cookie-cutter definition of Christianity or find ourselves discarded and marginalized by our own brothers and sisters in Christ. It all makes me sick to my soul. It is not at all how I see Jesus living His life. He was not concerned with the politics of His day; He was completely wrapped up in the people.

Don't get me wrong. I do believe that God desires us to take a stand against the things in society which we find immoral and repugnant. Slavery, for example. Thank God for those who had the courage and tenacity to stand up in the public arena against it.

Yet do you also remember how many used the Bible and Jesus as their defense OF slavery?

This is the problem with using Jesus as a political weapon, rather than a social healing balm. And this is what I see in our culture of "conservative Christianity" today.  Jesus has become a political weapon rather than the Redeeming Grace of the soul.

I understand the zeal to have a "Christian government" "Christian schools" and a "Christian culture", in that we desire to bring righteousness into every aspect of our lives, especially those areas that we deem most important, like education and our nation's governing bodies. However, I must agree with Lauren Sandler that the drive to replace the current systems with Christianized ones is very alarming. Because it is misdirected zeal. This was never Jesus' mandate to His Church. Jesus never told us to go out and Christianize our world. Does that mean we are not to have an impact, or make a difference in our world? May it never be!

However, it needs to be said, and said and said again, that making an impact on our world and "Christianizing" it are two vastly different things. And I think we bring great harm to the Church and to Jesus' name when we fight to do the latter rather than the former.

I think that this can be seen in how Jesus is now viewed by unbelievers, as well as the general reputation Christianity now has in America. And perhaps even throughout the world because of America (though not all of that is the fault of the American church).  So often we Christians are viewed by our society as "idiots," as one questioner/commenter on the chat from Eastern Market Washington, DC called us, or as those "crazy Christians" (to borrow a sketch title from "Studio 60..."). Could it possibly be because we take positions, politically, that tell the world we would rather force our religion on them than meet them where they're at, accept them and love them for who they are right now? Is that really who Jesus is? Is that really what we want them to believe following Jesus is truly about, forcing our beliefs on an unbelieving world?

Why are we so hell-bent (if you'll forgive the metaphor) on denying nonbelievers the rights that legal marriage would bring -- things like spousal health care coverage, next of kin notices, etc? Come on, do we really believe that this will eliminate homosexuality in America? Do we really think that by declaring marriage to be only between a man and a woman that we will eliminate same-sex unions, and perhaps bring all who struggle with homosexuality to Jesus? Come on, let's be real. It does nothing more than create another wall, another barrier for the Gospel; another barrier that keeps the Gospel from being heard by a significant group of people.

Forcing nonbelievers to live like they were believers may seem "morally righteous" but, in truth, it's cruel. They have neither the understanding nor the power of the Holy Spirit with which to overcome the enemy and live in freedom under the standards God sets for us, His followers. God never forces nonbelievers to live by the same standards as His people. Rather, He calls His people to live by standards that would cause the world around them to stand up and take notice, in order that HE might have the glory and honor when His people are able to point to Him as the source of the ability to live by such freedom, grace, hope and love.

I am convinced that we can still lovingly address the reality that homosexuality is a sin while at the same time not barring homosexual marriage in our society. No, its not perfect. No, same-sex marriage is not God's best. But how in the world can we expect the world to live as God commands us to live when we cannot even live that way without the power of Jesus?? When are we going to wake up and realize America is not a nation of Christ-followers. We are not a Christian nation. We are Christianized; and with a brand of Christianity that is more cultural than Biblical.

My heart breaks that we are passing along our syncretized Christianity to our youth. They have such an opportunity to break free of our chains and run free in the path of God's commands (Palm 119:32) rather than sludge through our cultural Christianity.

In all other ways, this generation has everything going for it; as Lauren says, "many of the members of this Disciple Generation I met are extremely articulate, thoughtful, creative -- they are quite astute, I believe in many of their criticisms of the secular world as empty, consumerist, and purposeless." I would say a loud, "that's right!" to her declaration.

Harry Potter x2

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is soooo good, I'm reading again! :)

I can't believe what she did!!! I can't believe who dies in this one! It took me so by surprise, I couldn't get it out of my head for days after I finished the book (last weekend). So tonight I decided to read it again, in case its been "magicked" so that the one who dies changes upon second reading... ;)

Thunderstorms and Harry Potter

...make for a good lunch hour!

(even though I was sitting directly under the air-conditioning vent. Brr!)

True Story

I'm currently reading Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. So many people had recommended it so highly that I must confess, I was rather skeptical. If so many people liked it so well it was bound to mean I wouldn't. Not that I'm anti-society or anything... just that, for some reason, I tend to not find appealing things that others, especially fellow believers, do.

At any rate, I'm enjoying it. I wouldn't say it's the best book ever, or that it's life-altering. I think its more encouraging in a literary sense than anything. It says that people just telling their story is good enough to get published. You don't have to have it all figured out and wrapped up in a bow to get your story told. It's okay for it to be a work-in-progress, as all authentic stories are.

Donald Miller writes very much like my roommate, Adria. Here's a sample of Blue Like Jazz that I just read:

"Then what?" Tony asked, sort of laughing. "Penguin sex." "Penguin sex?" "Yes. Penguin sex. Right there on television. I felt like I was watching animal porn." "What was it like?" he asked. "Less than exciting," I told him. "Sort of a letdown." "So what does penguins having sex have to do with belief in God?" Tony asked. "Well, I am getting to that...."

And on it goes. Adria has a similarly dry wit and not only writes but verbally delivers these crazy one-liners and zingers with such understated tone you can't help but bust out laughing. Then with her next breath she, like Donald Miller, will turn the tables on you and delve into the depths of the wisdom of God.

She is far too young to have this wisdom of her own accord. It has to be God's, and she is His own human Little Dipper, plunging into the depths of Him and bringing out life-giving, drenching wisdom for all of us who are thirsty.

You need to read her latest entry, Rock and Roll Circus. For that matter, you need to read all her posts.

And watch for her name on the bookstore shelves. I believe someday soon she will give Donald Miller a run for his readers.

Heroes, Villans & Fools

Why do they make us read things like The Illiad in high school? There's no way someone still in their early teens has any way to truly comprehend the full scope of a story like this. You have to have lived a little, experienced some of life's pain, hardship and hard-fought victories to truly appreciate a story such as this.

Achilles is the name most remembered from this epic tale. But Hector was the true hero. He had the valor, the integrity, the humility and the humanity to be a true king. Achilles was the tragic fool. He thought he was his own master, the slave of none, the one others turned to. But he was a prisoner to something far worse that a greedy king. He was a prisoner of his own anger, and his own insatiable appetite for lasting fame.

In the end what did the Greeks gain for all Agamemnon's warring? A city in ashes, a dead king, a slain warrior and a people in desperate need of a true leader. They needed a king like Priam, King of Troy. A true hero and warrior, a kind yet strong leader, like his eldest son.

Odysseus prays that Achilles finds peace in death. My heart ached with overwhelming sorrow for this sad, angry man and I found myself wondering if God granted him peace and mercy in death. I realize he may never have really existed. He may merely be an amalgamation of several Greek warriors whose stories eventually blended into one mythic figure. But don't you ever wonder about people like Achilles, who lived so long ago, in lands where the God of Abraham, isaac and Jacob was not known? What happened to their souls when their bodies died? Did God have mercy on them?

How much time have I spent living like Achilles, with all the anger of the world in my heart, and a foolish drive to ensure my name lives long after my bones have returned to dust? How sad it is that we can live our whole lives engulfed in our own small stories, when God is writing such a larger, grander one with mythic parts just for us. Hector saw the larger story -- and he, like the wise man in Ecclesiates 9:14-15 (who was not remembered at all), is not remembered nearly as much as Achilles. Achilles, Agamemnon, Odysseus, those who are most remembered, lived their whole lives overwhelmed by their own small stories, never seeing the true scope of Life as Hector, Priam and eventually Paris did.

Perhaps that was Homer's point... I guess it's time to dust off my copy of The Illiad and find out.

Troy

I'm watching the movie right now... not even an hour into it and already the battle is begun.

Why is it that Achilles got all the fame from this war, when it appears to me Hector had all the valor? Or am I missing something?

Forgive my ignorance. It's been a long time since I read this story. And at that time I didn't much care for details....

My Night With Donald Miller

Tonight a bunch of us from Mosaic Nashville went to hear Donald Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz and Searching For God Knows What, speak at the Belcourt Theatre.

I wasn't sure what to expect. So much hype has surrounded Blue Like Jazz... that always makes me nervous about a book. Is it really as good as they say? Will I be disappointed in it because it didn't meet the expectations I created based on all I heard? For that matter, just because a person can write doesn't mean they'll be a talented public speaker.

So I went with mixed emotions and dialed down expectations.

I arrived a few minutes before the event was to begin because the "short nap" I'd chosen to take after getting home from work around 3:30p turned into a deep sleep from which Adria had some difficulty awaking me. She'd gone on ahead of me to meet up with our group and secure us a good place in line. However, I arrived to chaos; a sea of people and cars flooding 21st Avenue around the Belcourt. Turns out twice as many people had showed up as could fit in the theatre. Thankfully, the Belcourt's management shifted their schedule and allowed Don -- who also graciously shifted schedules -- to speak twice. 7pm and 9pm. Even then, however, many of us didn't get "tickets" to the 9pm show (the event was free, but tickets secured you a seat). One of our group decided not to go after he got his ticket, and go graciously gave his ticket to me.

It was worth the wait and the hassle.

Donald Miller is an exceptional writer, a dynamic speaker, a witty man, a kid at heart and a wise follower of Jesus. He spoke words that both confirmed my own experience and enlightened my mind to new truths. I left wanting to talk on for hours about all that he'd said, and yet at the same time deeply desiring to get alone with God and meditate on all that I'd just heard.

Only one other speaker has had that kind of effect on me. Erwin. That says a lot about Donald Miller. I hope his books are as good as he is in person.